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No. 623,457. Patented Apr. I8, I899. J. BAIRD.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed LII-r. 14, 1899.) (Nu Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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llwrrn STATES PATENT rricn.

JAMES BAIRD, OF DEVONPORT, NEW ZEALAND.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,457, dated April 18, 1899.

Application filed March l4, 1899. Serial No. 709,021. (No model.)

To (1, whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES BAIRD, engineer, a subject of Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Devonport, near the city of Auckland, in the Provincial District of Auckland and Colony of New Zealand, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Rotary Engine, of which the following is a specification.

This improved rotary engine is constructed to do away with reciprocating motion,to economize steam, to be almost noiseless in its action, to reduce friction nearly to a minimum, to have almost steam-perfect or other power tightness, and to reduce and economize engine-room space. This is accomplished by having a double cylinder or two cylinders secured together, divided by a central piece, with shaft through same, two disks carrying two slide-blocks and four radial piston-arms each, one set being at right angles to the other, with slide-blocks adjusted to radial piston-arms, hubs connected to central dividing-piece and to cylinder-covers, with shaft working through same out of center.

The accompanying drawingsindicate eleven figures, of which- Figure 1 is a cross-section through ports of cylinder, showing end View of disk and working parts. Fig. 2-is a longitudinal section through at of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an inside view of cylinder-cover. Fig. 4 is an end View of disk. Fig. 5 is a section of disk through c d of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a plan of outer radial piston-arms. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of outer radial piston-arms. Fig. Sis a longitudinal view of inner radial piston-arms. Fig. 9 is a plan of inner radial piston-arms. Fig. 10 is an end view of slide-block. Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section of slide-block.

The parts shown on the different figures are: A, cylinder; A, ports; B, disk; 0, inner radial piston-arms; O, outer radial piston-arms; D, central hubs on central dividing-piece; D, outer hubs on cylinder-covers; D space to contain hub; E, shaft; E, bore for shaft; F, slide-blocks; G, upright hubs or bosses of inner radial piston -arms; H, packing or steam'tight rings; J, springs for steam-tight rings H; K, steam-tight pieces forming pistons; L, round tenon on upright hub or boss G; L, recess for round tenon L and springs; M, packingpiece; N, slots or recesses for slide-blocks F to work in; O, clearance for eyes U and U to work in; P, margin of cylinder-cover to fit into bore of cylinder; R, set-off to accommodate eyes U of opposite radial piston-arms C; R, set-01f to accommodate eyes U of opposite radial piston-arms O; S, clearance for inner and outer radial piston-arms C and G to work in; T, fiat tenon'on end of upright hub or boss G; T, recess for fiat tenon; U, eyepiece for inner radial piston-arm; U, eyepiece of outer radial piston-arm; W', annular space or chamber.

The double cylinder A can be cast in one piece with a central dividing piece or wall, or two equal cylinders A can be secured to one another with a central dividing-piece with flanges same as cylinder-cover. This central dividing piece or wall is bored to admit of a shaft E being passed through it somewhat out of the center and nearer the top than the bottom of the cylinder, as shown on Figs. 1, 2, and 3. On each side of this center piece a hub D is secured to or cast with it, each hub being arranged central to bore of cylinder and corresponds with hubs D on covers. Enciroling the hubs D are two fiat radial pistonarms 0 on each side of the central dividingpiece, the two on one side beingat right angles to the two on the other. The outer ends of these inner radial piston-arms O are shaped into lateral hubs or bosses G and steam-tight pieces K. A disk 13, smaller in diameter or circumference than the inner side of the cylinder A, is centrally adjusted to the shaft E, having a portion 0 of its upper and under surface immediately around the shaft somewhat hollowed out, which permits the eyepieces U and U of the radial piston-arms C and C to work freely. On the upper side of this disk B two other flat radial piston-arms C are so placed that when the cover is placed over and onto the cylinder A the hub D on its inside fits into the eyepieces U of the up per radial piston-arms G and the hub D fits closely around the shaft E. This upper hub D has relatively the same position to the shaft E and upper radial piston-arms G as the lower hubD has to the lower radial piston-arms (J and shaft E. These upper radial piston-arms C have their outer ends shaped to fit over tenons L and T on the upright hubs or bosses G and steam-tight pieces K of the lower radial piston-arms O and over and onto slide-blocks F, adjusted to the upright hubs or bosses G. Packing or steam-tight rings H are let into and around the upper and under surfaces of the disk B, so that when the cover is screwed on the respective surfaces are thereby kept steam-tight. Packing-pieces M are let into the ends of the steam-tight rings H to provide for wear, and have springs beneath them and let into the disk B to keep the slide-blocks F tight, or jets of steam can be used for the same purpose. The disk B is secured to the shaft E by a feather or key. This description is for the fittings on one side of the central dividing-piece inside the cylinder A, and the same description applies to the other side of the central dividing-piece, except that the radial piston-arms O and C, slide-blocks F, and slots N are placed at right angles on one side of the central dividing-piece to those on the other side. The shaft E being slightly out of the center of bore of cylinder and in the center of the disk B causes the side of the disk B to be always close up to but clear of the top and adjacent side of the cylinder A, while the opposite and lower side of the disk B is away from the opposite side of the cylinder A, which leaves a wide annular space or chamber W between the disk B and cylinder A, which space WV presents the most piston area to the motive pressure; hence the power. The upright hubs or bosses G and steam-tight pieces K are always in close contactwith the inner side of bore of the cylinder A, as shown in Fig. 1.

When the stea in or other form of power is let in through one of the ports A, it will actuate the nearest piston and drive it around, carrying it around with it until the steam escapes through the opposite port A, which it may do to another rotary engine and from that to another, and so on, all being fitted on same shaft until the steam is fully expanded, and meanwhile fresh steam will continue to pour in through the other port A and keep the disk B continuously revolving.

The advantages of this rotary engine are that it is noiseless in working, there is very little friction, it is almost perfect for steamtightness, the wear is taken up by packing rings and strips, the centrifugal force keeps the steam-tight pieces of the radial pistonarms tight to the bore of the cylinder, and the hubs on central dividing-piece and on inner side of cylinder-cover keep radial piston-arms from pressing too hard on bore of cylinder.

The rotary engine will work or act as a pump or as a fan for blowing wind. There is no reasonable limit to the size of the engine or the number of cylinders that may be worked on the same shaft. It can be made of iron, steel, or any suitable metal.

The engine will run either way by reversing the steam from right to left.

Having fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patcut is-- 1. In a rotary engine, the combination with the cylinder having internal hubs arranged at each end thereof, of a shaft extending longitudinally and eccentrically through said cylinder and hubs, a disk secured to the shaft and rotating therewith, a pair of radial piston-arms arranged at each end of the disk and each pair of arms having an eye portion which encircles one of said hubs, one pair of said arms being further provided at their outer ends with lateral hubs or bosses and steamtight pieces which fit into suitable receiving parts on the outer ends of the other pair of radial arms, and slide-blocks connectedto the said lateral hubs or bosses so as to have a sliding movement on the said disk, the parts cooperating, substantially as described.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination with the cylinder having internal hubs arranged at opposite ends thereof,,of a longitudinal shaft extending eccentrically through said cylinder and hubs, a disk centrally mounted upon said shaft and rotating therewith, a

pair'of inner and outer radial arms located respectively at opposite ends of the disk, and each arm having an eye which encircles the said hubs on the cylinder ends, lateral hubs or bosses on the outer ends of said inner arms, which hubs or bosses fit into suitable receiving parts-on the outer ends of the said outer arms, and slide-blocks connected to said lateral hubs or bosses so as to have an oscillating movement thereon and'a sliding movement on the disk, the parts cooperating, substantially as described.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination with the cylinder having internal hubs arranged at opposite ends thereof, of a longitudinal shaft extending eccentrically through said cylinder and hubs, a disk centrally mounted upon said shaft and having oppositely-disposed recesses or cavities, a pair of inner and outer radial arms located respectively at opposite ends of the disk, and each arm having an eye which encircles the said hubs on the cylinder ends, lateral hubs or bosses on the outer ends of one pair of said arms, which interlock with corresponding receiving parts on the opposite pair of arms, and slide-blocks connected to said lateral hubs or bosses so as to have an oscillating movement thereon and a sliding movement in the recesses or cavities in the said disk, the parts cooperating, substantially as described.

at. In a rotary-engine, the combination with the cylinder having internal hubs arranged at opposite ends thereof, of a longitudinal shaft extending eccentrically through said cylinder and hubs, a disk centrally mounted upon said shaft, a pair of arms located respectively at opposite ends of the disk and each arm having an eye which encircles the said hubs on the cylinder ends, laterally-extending circular bosses G, and steam packing-pieces 70, on

the outer ends of one pair of arms, a circular tenon L, on the end of said circular boss G, a rectangular tenon T, on the end of said packing-piece 7t, and recessed parts L, and T, on the outer ends of the opposite pair of arms, into which recessed parts the said bosses and tenons fit, and slide-blocks F, connected to said circular bosses so as to oscillate thereon, and alsoarranged to have a sliding in ovement on the disk, substantially as described.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination with the cylinder having a central partition therein dividing the same into two compartments, internal hubs arranged Within each compartment at opposite ends thereof, a longitudinal shaft extending eccentricallythrough said cylinder and hubs, disks centrally mounted upon said shaft, one in each cylinder-compartment, two pairs of radial arms located reradial bosses so as to have an oscillating,

movement thereon and a sliding movement on the said disks, substantially as described. 30

JAMES BAIRD. Vitnesses:

GEORGE WILLIAM BAsLEY, FRANCIS ERNEST BAsLEY. 

